The World Bank Group has announced it is providing $100 million to Ghana to support the country’s COVID-19 efforts.

In a press release copied to ghanabusinessnews.com, Thursday April 2, 2020, the Bank said the financing, “will be made available to the government and people of Ghana as short, medium and long-term support.”

Ghana as at today has 204 confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) with five deaths and three recoveries.

According to the Bank, the financing package includes $35 million in emergency support to help the country provide improved response systems.

“Under this emergency package the World Bank will support the Government of Ghana to help prevent, detect, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic through the Ghana Emergency Preparedness and Response Project (EPRP),” it indicated.

It adds that the EPRP will help strengthen Ghana’s National Laboratories by providing robust systems for the early detection of COVID-19 cases and providing real time disease surveillance and reporting systems of outbreaks, adding that, it will also improve response systems by providing social and financial support and free health services to COVID-19 patients and families who are isolated or quarantined.

Finally, the project will focus on risk communications and community engagement for increased awareness and compliance with prevention measures engaging the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service, Ministry of Information and other agencies, the release said.

The World Bank is making available a $14 billion fast track facility to assist developing countries in their fight against the pandemic which has infected nearly a million people around the world, killed over 50,000. More than 200,000 have recovered.

Commenting, the World Bank Ghana Country Director, Pierre Laporte said, “We are working with the government through this fast track facility to support the country’s efforts to slow transmission, prevent outbreaks and provide better-quality care for all patients, especially the seriously ill. It’s crucial that we all work together with other partners to help minimize the negative impact of the pandemic on health systems, social services and economic activities.”

In addition to the emergency facility, a $65 million contingency emergency response component was triggered from the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development Project (GARID), the release stated.